Junkyard AC ??

[Alan N]

It's time for over the road/ driver air-conditioning.
Engine driven with maybe 2 or 3 evaporators in the front half of the bus.
I have access to a large assortment of junked semis wich I would like to be my primary parts source.
Some of my initial questions would be, what brand/size compressor should I look for?
Do the condenser compressor and evaporators need to be matched for capacity or can I just go with the bigger is better theory?
My bus is a rear engine type, what would be the best type of refrigerant line? I will need approximately 70 feet or more.
I know that I can call Red Dot or some other after market place and get a whole new setup but I would like to do this project for hundreds of dollars not thousands.
Has anyone done this?
Christopher???

[cadillackid]

you definitely want to try and size everything together.. esp the compressor with the capacity of your evaporators and condensors.. (and those 2 need to match reasonably).. the compressor can have more capacity than the other components. but not less..

there are literallty hundreds of different compressors out there. so really you have to get numbers off of one and look it up to see what its capacities are..

I would first start posting to forum members that are yanking their A/C out.. many of them do.. and you might be able to pick up alot of components that people are taking out for cheap..

Lines - that depends on the capacity of each system if you are installing more than one..

typically if im going to run 50,0000-60,000 BTU. ill run a #8 Liquid line, #10 Gas line and a #12 suction line.. I used burgaflex hose with Burgaclip fittings.. you only need one simple pliers tool to fit the fittings onto the lines.. so you can run hose and then cut to fit. I havent had one leak yet..

I dont klnow the details on your bus to know how many BTU you need.. insulated or not? with rear engine and only half the bus Id probably to a small front evaporator.. either over top on the ceiling or a dashboard A/C solution and then a second one that id hang on the ceiling on the side most likely. so it stays mostly out of the way..

unless you are going with new parts its tougher to find non-ceiling. mounted gear.. I didnt want ceiling in my DEV bus so I had to buy new evaporator units as all the used / take-offs were ceiling hangers..

engine compressor brackets are another source of high cost.. buying them new from red-dot or bracketry systems can be costly!.. so if you can get take-offs for that even better..

id think you coulkd get away with a single compressor / 3 fan condensor. and 2 small evaporators unless theres a lot of heat load.
-Christopher